Barbara Herrington

In 1995, Barbara became her mother-in-law’s caregiver after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As the disease progressed, Barbara had to find assisted living facilities with memory care units to better suit her mother-in-law. Through this process and through the struggle to understand the ever-changing illness of dementia, Barbara was compelled to want to help families through similar situations. This led her to return to school and supplement her degree in Early Childhood Education with a Master’s degree in Gerontology and start her own Aging Life CareTM practice called All About Aging.

What is your business? We provide Aging Life Care which is care management, patient advocacy, guidance, facility placement, and coordination of other service providers.

Who are your clients? Families struggling with the aging process, often dementia patients (sometimes not yet diagnosed), and adult children managing their parents’ care.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? I have always had an interest in having my own business, starting with selling homemade Christmas cards to neighbors when I was 12 years old.

Business win? We have been in business for 10 years and other professionals (attorneys, physicians, financial advisors) feel comfortable referring us and collaborating together.

Why Lakeland? It’s a wonderful place to raise a family and spend your retirement years, which o ers us the opportunity to serve aging people as their needs increase.

Favorite things to do in Lakeland? Walking at Hollis Gardens, Circle B Bar Reserve, or the labyrinth at Barnett Park. I also love attending the variety of Tai Chi and yoga classes offered here!

What would you like to see in Lakeland? More age and dementia friendly businesses, restaurants, and parks.

How has Catapult helped you? Catapult has provided a meeting space for our clients, a quiet working space, inspiration from the other entrepreneurs, and educational opportunities to help grow my business.

Secret Sauce? Listen to everyone involved, then creatively provide solutions that make every day a good day for the aging family member.

2 Comments

I appreciate and respect the leadership of Barabara. She has helped build dementia care resources and programs in our area. I will always view her as a friend for the cause and know she has aging issues at her core. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia are complicated and some families need experts to help them navigate through issues. We are blessed as a community to have her involved to help caregivers those affected.